gall mite

American

noun

a mite of the family Eriophyidae that feeds on plant juices, damaging buds, leaves, and twigs and causing galls and other deformities.

gall mite British

noun

any of various plant-feeding mites of the family Phytoptidae that cause galls or blisters on buds, leaves, or fruit

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of gall mite

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

You would think that by going back to the Triassic you'd find a transitional form of gall mite, but no.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023